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BSSI2 LLC • www.bssi2.com • [email protected] • 847-551-4626| Support•[email protected]•312-752-4675
Business Email Compromise: It Could Happen to You
The Lighter Side�.
The Coke Salesman in Israel
A disappointed salesman of Coca-
Cola returned from his assignment
to Israel.
A friend asked, “Why weren’t you
successful with the Israelis?”
The salesman explained, “When I
got posted, I was very confident that
I would make a good sales pitch. But
I had a problem. I didn’t know how
to speak Hebrew. So I planned to
convey the message through three
posters.
First poster:
A man lying in the hot desert sand
totally exhausted and fain)ng.
Second poster:
The man is drinking Coca-Cola.
Third poster:
Our man is now totally refreshed.
And then these posters were pasted
all over the place.
“Terrific idea! That should have
worked!” said the friend.
“The hell it should have!” said the
salesman.
“But no one told me they read from
right to le,!”
Innovations
People may say CEO Fraud (also called
Business Email Compromise, BEC) won’t
happen to me, we’re too small of a
company. Yet just this month a client of
ours—with 25 employees—received a
CEO Fraud attempt.
The FBI released a brand new alert on
April 4th, 2016 which warns of a major
increase in BEC, amounting to a
whopping $2.3 billion in losses. This is
very relevant information if you are
discussing IT security budget.
Here is what the FBI said:
"The schemers go to great lengths to spoof
company email or use social engineering
to assume the identity of the CEO, a
company attorney, or trusted vendor.
They research employees who manage
money and use language specific to the
company they are targeting, then they
request a wire fraud transfer using dollar
amounts that lend legitimacy.
"There are various versions of the scams.
Victims range from large corporations to
tech companies to small businesses to non
-profit organizations. Many times, the
fraud targets businesses that work with
foreign suppliers or regularly perform
wire transfer payments.
• Law enforcement globally has received
complaints from victims in every U.S.
state and in at least 79 countries
• From October 2013 through February
2016, law enforcement received reports
from 17,642 victims
• This amounted to more than $2.3 billion
in losses
• Since January 2015, the FBI has seen a
270 percent increase in identified
victims and exposed loss
• In Arizona the average loss per scam is
between $25,000 and $75,000
If your company has been victimized by
a BEC scam:
• Contact your financial institution
immediately
• Request that they contact the financial
institution where the fraudulent transfer
was sent
• File a complaint—regardless of dollar
loss—with the IC3 Link: https://
www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx
FBI Tips for Businesses:
• Be wary of email-only wire transfer
requests and requests involving
urgency
• Pick up the phone and verify legitimate
business partners
• Be cautious of mimicked email
addresses
• Practice multi-level authentication"
Check out the BSSi2 March 4th blog post,
Prevent CEO Fraud by watching for these
email Red Flags, for more tips on
preventing your company from becoming
a victim.
http://www.bssi2.com/2016/03/social-
engineering-red-flags/
Review Twice, Implement Once. Doing IT Right the First Time. • April 2016 Sco- Bernstein, CPA
President
Nick Espinosa
CIO and Chief Security Fana)c
BSSI2 LLC • www.bssi2.com • [email protected] • 847-551-4626| Support•[email protected]•312-752-4675
Innovations 2
Business owners will spend all day speaking about their products’ or services’ features and benefits, their company’s history, their mission and vision …
CEOs and CFOs of public companies will bend investors’ ears on what makes their companies so great and why people should buy their stock today …
And you—where’s your passion? What will you talk about ad nauseam—long after people have stopped rolling their eyes and have started shutting them? (I’m guilty, too. For me, it’s how good communication can solve just about any kind of problem with customers, employees, investors and the media.)
Although people love your passion, they hate wading through the pile of prose between them and what they really want to know. So as much as we love our subject, we need to give a little love to the people we’re trying to reach. Here are the two tricks I use to keep my intoxication with a topic from pushing people away rather than drawing them to me.
Tip #1: What Am I Trying to Do?
It’s Communications 101: what’s the purpose of all this? Am I trying to educate people on a topic? Am I trying to get their agreement? Am I trying to get them to take action (and what would that be, by the way)? Am I trying to get information from them?
You’d be surprised by the number of people who don’t consider why they’re speaking or writing before they start. Don’t be one of them. If you know what you want, you’ve exponentially increased the chances you’ll actually get it.
Tip #2: Who Am I Trying to Reach?
Let’s face it: your family and friends will cut you a lot more slack on your latest love than anyone else. But not your boss, when you’re trying to convince her that you have a great idea for a new project. But not your client, when you’re trying to convince him
to spend more money with you when he’s already feeling budget constrained. But not the reporter on the phone, when you’re trying to convince him that this is a great story his readers can hardly wait to know more about.
So when you’re spending that extra few seconds deciding what you want to accomplish before the communication, spend a few more thinking about the people on the other end of it. Here’s your checklist.
• Why would they want to hear from you?
• When would they want to hear from you?
• How would they want to hear from you?
• What’s in it for them?
• What objections could they raise to your idea—and how could you address these up front so they don’t get the chance to use them to end the communication?
And the all-important—and often overlooked—What do I do if they actually agree with me and want to move forward? That’s another downside of passion: sometimes we’re so busy waxing eloquent about our subject that we don’t know when to stop! Then we can run the risk of talking people out of something they initially agreed to.
Before that next email, news release, proposal, phone conversation, tweet—mix compassion for your target audience with the passion for your subject. You’ll create your own Love Potion #9.
Lynne Franklin is a corporate and marke)ng
communica)ons consultant and speaker.
What she does best is create meaningful
communica)ons to help businesspeople
solve their problems and get what they
want. To learn about how she can help you,
contact Lynne at 847-729-5716 or
The Misplaced Passion Theory When people are passionate about a subject, they want to tell everyone everything.
But people don’t want to know everything—they just want to hear what’s important to them
BSSI2 LLC • www.bssi2.com • [email protected] • 847-551-4626| Support•[email protected]•312-752-4675
Which Flavor Of The Cloud Is Right For You Secure data backup, greater reliability, better resource and growth management options, and improved collaboration are just a few of the reasons to take full advantage of cloud computing today.
Yet understanding the choices you have can help you avoid some VERY costly mistakes you could wind up seriously regretting later. To help you move forward with confidence, here are some important points to consider.
Three “Flavors” Of The Cloud Not all cloud models are the same. A cloud environment that works for a dental practice with a half dozen locations may not be entirely suitable for a new law firm with just a single office.
In determining what the best cloud model is for your organization, it’s important to know how cloud services are structured.
Basically, there are three types of cloud: public, private and hybrid.
Public Cloud Services Offer Flexibility And Lower Cost A public cloud comprises a collection of data storage and software services that can be accessed on an as-needed monthly basis, somewhat like an electric utility or fitness club. It houses data facilities outside the corporate firewall that you access through an Internet browser without having to make any initial or ongoing capital investment.
Well-known examples of public cloud services include Google Drive, Microsoft Office Online, Apple iCloud and Amazon Cloud Drive. They provide data storage and, in many cases, web apps.
Public clouds are best used where a high level of privacy is not required. They can provide access to a growing pool of newer technologies that would not be affordable if developed individually.
Private Clouds Support Highly Specialized Apps A private cloud resides within an organization’s firewall, and is typically owned, managed and supported by that business. IT resources are available to members of the organization from their own data center.
Private clouds can support highly specialized and/or privacy-restricted applications, like medical-records software for a health-care organization concerned about HIPPA requirements, for example.
April 2016 3
And, while it can be more expensive to set up initially, a private cloud may deliver a higher ROI in the long run since you’re not paying for ongoing shared services.
Hybrid Clouds: Balancing Complexity With Flexibility Merging the flexibility of public cloud services with the control of a private cloud, a hybrid cloud can provide the ideal infrastructure for some organizations.
A hybrid cloud enables you to put some of your apps and data – archives and e-mail, for instance – in a public cloud, and the remainder in your private cloud. This provides the cost savings and benefits of the public cloud while retaining the customization and security advantages of a private cloud.
While it can be more complex to deploy and manage than a pure public or private cloud, a hybrid cloud may
deliver the best blend of control, flexibility and cost-effectiveness for some organizations.
So Which “Flavor” Is Right For You? There is no perfect solution – each type of cloud has its own pros and cons. That being said, here are a few key factors to consider when determining the best approach for your particular business:
Public cloud solutions are best suited to the flexibility and budget requirements of smaller businesses that want access to the kind of IT resources that bigger organizations can afford, without the cost of development and ongoing support and management.
A private cloud, managed and supported by an in-house IT team, may be ideal for your organization if control and privacy are of paramount concern.
A hybrid cloud could be the ideal solution for any enterprise that wants to manage sensitive data in-house while availing itself of third-party software and data storage for uses where the data involved isn’t as sensitive.
How To Get The Best Professional Help While hiring a cloud-computing expert can prove extremely beneficial in the long run, it’s critical to work with a professional who has depth of experience in all types of cloud environments.
We’ve helped dozens of companies set up and run cost-effective, powerful and secure cloud networks. For a Free Cloud Readiness Assessment, contact us at (847) 551-4626 or [email protected] today.
BSSI2 LLC • www.bssi2.com • [email protected] • 847-551-4626| Support•[email protected]•312-752-4675
“We make all of your computer problems go away
without the cost of a full-time I.T. staff”
For service, please contact the Service Manager at Phone 312-752-4675 • Email [email protected]
April 2016
35 Aztec Court South Barrington, IL 60010
(847) 551-4626
www.bssi2.com
Review Twice, Implement Once. Doing IT Right the First Time
BSSi2 Support | (312) 752-4675 | [email protected]
Feel like your computer is out of gas? Having network
issues that are delaying your daily opera)ons? Give our IT
professionals a call today for your FREE Network
Assessment. We will inventory your current technology,
check network security, review your back-up solu)on and
deliver a report including outstanding issues and possible
solu)ons. It’s amazing how a simple review of your current
opera)ons can reveal cost and )me saving opportuni)es.
Claim your FREE Network Assessment today!
Shiny New Gadget of the Month
New Printer Fits In Your Pocket
So, what’s about the size of a deck of cards and prints instant photos from your smartphone – with no ink needed?
Yes, there is such a thing, and if you guessed the new Polaroid Zip, you’d be right.
Selling for $129.99, it prints full-color 2x3-inch prints with an optional peel-off sticky backing. Each print costs about 25 cents and they look okay, all things considered – just don’t expect ink-jet print quality.
How does it not need ink? It uses Polaroid’s Zink zero-ink paper, embedded with cyan, yellow and magenta crystals. They turn into the appropriate colors when activated by a heat process. And since there’s no ink, there’s no stickiness, smearing or waiting for photos to dry.
Connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth, then just shoot and print!
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